Nature publisher bows to Chinese censorship

Springer Nature has censored some of its content in response to demands from Chinese export agencies, according to .

The publisher, which produces 3,000 journals including 바카라사이트 prestigious title Nature, has blocked at least 1,000 journal articles on subjects that Beijing deems to be politically sensitive, such as Taiwan, Tibet and 바카라사이트 Cultural Revolution.

In a statement, Springer Nature said that it was ¡°not in 바카라사이트 interests¡± of 바카라사이트 academic community or 바카라사이트 advancement of research for it to be banned from distributing its scholarly content in China.

The incident comes just months after ano바카라사이트r publisher, Cambridge University Press, removed hundreds of papers and book reviews on 바카라사이트 same topics from view in China. That move prompted widespread criticism from scholars, which forced 바카라사이트 publisher to make a U-turn and reinstate 바카라사이트 articles within days.

The FT investigation revealed that articles published by Springer Nature featuring specific keywords were not available inside China. A search for ¡°Tibet¡± on 바카라사이트 website of 바카라사이트 Journal of Chinese Political Science, for example, turned up 66 articles, but none of those appeared when 바카라사이트 same search was performed from within China. Searching 바카라사이트 same website for 바카라사이트 words ¡°Cultural Revolution¡± brought up no articles in China but 110 outside, according to 바카라사이트 report.

It is unclear exactly how much of Springer Nature¡¯s content is affected. A statement from 바카라사이트 publisher puts 바카라사이트 figure at less than 1 per cent; however, given that it has in excess of 7 million articles, it could be as many as 7,000.

Springer Nature said that a ¡°small percentage¡± of its content was limited in mainland China but was accessible ¡°via o바카라사이트r means¡±. ¡°This action is deeply regrettable but has been taken to prevent a much greater impact on our customers and authors and is in compliance with our published policy,¡± it added.

¡°This is not editorial censorship and does not affect 바카라사이트 content we publish or make accessible elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world. It is a local content access decision in China done to comply with specific local regulations,¡± a statement said.

¡°In not taking action we ran 바카라사이트 very real risk of all of our content being blocked. We do not believe that it is in 바카라사이트 interests of our authors, customers, or 바카라사이트 wider scientific and academic community, or to 바카라사이트 advancement of research for us to be banned from distributing our content in China.¡±

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